Endurance
by Gillian Taylor
Summary: It was Fox Mulder...but how did he become a Goa'uld? - Crossover w/ Stargate: SG-1


Title: Endurance  
Author: Gillian Taylor (gillianpicard@yahoo.com)  
Email: gillianpicard@yahoo.com  
Date: 2/27/03  
Archive: Gossamer, Ephemeral, Heliopolis, my website. Just drop me a line so I can visit and get a cheap thrill out of having my story up somewhere where it can be appreciated.   
Website:   
Category: X-Over Stargate SG-1 & The X-Files, Angst, Romance (MSR), R, A  
Spoilers: Just be familiar with Seasons 1 & 2 – Stargate SG-1, Requiem – X-Files  
Rating: PG-13 (mostly for angst and language)  
Keywords: MSR, Crossover, Stargate SG-1  
Summary: It was Fox Mulder...but how did he become a Goa'uld?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Scully, Mulder, Doggett, Skinner, Jack, Sam, Teal'c, or Daniel - I'm only borrowing them for my own perverse enjoyment. X-Files characters belong to Fox Entertainment and I Made This Productions. Stargate characters belong to Showtime/ Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions.   
  
Author's Notes: Whew…It's finally finished. I've been working on this fic for a long time, and finally I can say that it's done. I fell in love with Stargate a few years ago, but I'd never felt the urge to write something featuring our favorite characters until late last year. I wanted to write something that explained what "really" happened to Mulder, and to try and make things end on a happier note. Special thanks must invariably go to Per'agana, my beta. I hope that you enjoy what you find here, and I absolutely love feedback and constructive criticism.

* * *

"Endurance"  
by Gillian Taylor  
  
She stood alone in a desert of sand, wind twisted her hair in its rough grasp but she was not concerned with any physical appearance. Instead, she stared into the distance, beyond the enormous ring, beyond the horizon, awaiting something that she knew would come all too soon. Her hand rested protectively over the soft swell of her stomach, and she knew...soon, he would be with her again.  
  
"Scully," the voice was a whisper in the wind, but she turned all the same. She could no more have not known that voice than she could not have known her own.   
  
"Oh God...Mulder..."  
  
"You have waited and you have searched. But your search will draw to a close all too soon. You will find me, but what you will find will be beyond your wildest beliefs," he appeared out of the twisting sands and stared at her. Not with the love that she had seen in his eyes before, or with the guilt born of carrying a harsh secret, but instead with the dispassionate gaze of someone who had seen and done far too much in his lifetime.  
  
And then his eyes glowed.

* * *

_**Chapter 1 - Over the Rainbow**_  
  
****  
Planet : P5X-145  
0700 Hours  
  
"Oh for cryin' out loud!" he muttered as, once again, SG-1's infamous luck on missions snuck up on them. His MP-5 was a comforting weight in his hands as he gestured for his team to take cover the instant that he heard the tell-tale "clunk, clunk" of Jaffa soldiers. Sometimes he was tempted to think that they were cursed for the sheer number of times that a member of his team was in the med bay or they encountered another Goa'uld System Lord who's life's purpose was to make his life a living hell.  
  
To say that SG-1 had an easy time of things was like saying that there was no such thing as extraterrestrial life. Movement in the woods to his left cut off any inner reflections on his team's luck and he immediately focused his gaze on the rustling brush.   
  
There.  
  
A flash of silver caught his eyes as two Jaffa marched into the clearing, and Jack's hands gripped his weapon tighter. He really hated these bastards, no matter who they worked for.   
  
"Jaffa! Kree!" a booming voice echoed through the woods as who must be the Goa'uld's First Prime marched into the clearing. The other two Jaffa snapped to attention, almost painfully, to the Colonel's military eye. To him to snap to usually meant straightening his back, shoulders straining behind him, legs ramrod straight. To these guys, to snap to meant stretch your back as far as possible, shoulders trying to touch each other, legs straight, staff weapon held at ready. 'Never let it be said that being in the military hurt your back,' Jack thought grimly as he continued to watch, 'Being a Jaffa hurts your back.'  
  
The bush to the right of the Jaffa began to rustle a little, apparently because of a breeze, but he knew it to be the hiding spot of Dr. Daniel Jackson, his best friend, and resident klutz of SG-1. If there was a bee hive, he'd disturb it. If there was a rock, he'd trip on it. If there was a Jaffa, he'd find it. Jack could only pray that Daniel didn't run into the Jaffa this time around.   
  
However, his prayers would have been better spent on wishing for the earth to tilt its axis. The rustling increased and Daniel was pushed into the clearing by another Jaffa. A dozen choice swear words threatened to escape the Colonel's mouth, but he managed to contain the reflex. 'Damnit, Daniel. Couldn't you just ONCE not get yourself in trouble?'  
  
He would never admit it, but part of him enjoyed the challenge of protecting or otherwise rescuing the archeologist. But sometimes, like today, he just was tempted to fasten a leash around his neck.  
  
Major Sam Carter and Teal'c were out of eyesight, but he knew them to be in an equally prepared state to launch a rescue attempt. However he did not know how many more of the Snake-heads were on the planet, so to charge into a situation without knowledge was a suicide attempt. He gritted his teeth and held his weapon at the ready.  
  
Then he heard the tell-tale sound of a staff weapon getting ready to fire. Jack turned his head to look down the wrong end of the Jaffa's staff. "Oh great," he muttered to himself before he smiled cockily at the serpent guard, "Just checkin' out the local scenery. I'll be going now."  
  
"Kree!" the guard snapped, gesturing with his weapon towards the clearing.  
  
"No sense of humor," Jack grumbled as he raised his hands up in the air and entered the clearing.  
  
If it wasn't more of Daniel's rocks, it was their getting captured. Vaguely he wondered if he'd recognize the Goa'uld that inevitably would appear on the heels of his First Prime. He wasn't the historian that Danny was, nor was he the fount of mythological knowledge to his caliber. For all he knew, it would be Little Orphan Annie with bright glowing eyes that would show up.  
  
Jack grimaced again as the Jaffa behind him pushed him with his staff further into the clearing. "What? Not going fast enough for ya? *So* sorry."  
  
"Ch'rak'a F'nal," the Jaffa snapped and he was pushed into Daniel.  
  
"Sorry, Danny-boy," Jack muttered as he helped his friend get better footing after their initial forceful contact. "These guys have no sense of humor whatsoever."  
  
"Jack, I'm sorry..." he began, but Jack waved his apology off.  
  
"Daniel, it wasn't your fault. Don't worry about it. I'll get us out of this."  
  
Daniel was about to respond when the bushes behind them were brushed aside by two more Jaffa, the fore guard for a tall hazel-eyed man. The man's mouth curled into a cruel smile, something that seemed out of place on his face though he did not know him. His eyes flashed gold as he looked between Daniel and Jack, "I've been looking forward to finding you, Colonel O'Neill."  
  
"Sorry I can't return the sentiment, Snake-head," Jack growled. It didn't matter to him who this Goa'uld was, all that mattered was that he was a Goa'uld--hence an ass.  
  
"Cha-kree!" the Jaffa that held him growled, jamming his staff weapon into the Colonel's back.  
  
"As bold as Apophis described you. I am Ptah, the engineer of the Gods," the hazel-eyed man said haughtily, his eyes crossing over Daniel and himself almost predatorily. This was a Snake-head that was not one to be trifled with, he realized as the first true wisps of fear coursed through his soul.  
  
He could only hope that Sam and Teal'c were safe and wouldn't do anything stupid.  
  
****  
Brush nearby  
  
Sam Carter watched her superior's capture with a grimace. Daniel she could have expected; it seemed that there wasn't a time that he wasn't captured by the local 'bad guys.' But the Colonel was different, at least in her eyes. He was not a superhero in any book, but he was someone that knew how to watch his six. That the Jaffa managed to get to him meant either he was lax or else these Jaffa had better training than most - which did not boon well for their mission.  
  
She began calculating the odds of her and Teal'c being able to rescue the Colonel and Daniel as she shifted her grip on her weapon into a more 'ready' position. But that was before she saw just who it was that was the "Lord" over the group of Jaffa. Her eyes widened in shock when she recognized the man from the picture that Dana had sent her so many months ago.  
  
It was Fox Mulder...but how did he become a Goa'uld?  
  
****  
Earth  
X-Files Department  
J. Edgar Hoover Building  
Washington, DC  
8:00 AM EST  
  
Weariness hung over her slender frame like a cloak as she settled behind the desk with a soft sigh. She had awakened that morning to another bout of morning sickness and to another vision of her haunted eyes in the mirror. The months since Mulder's abduction had been hard on her though her appearance had only changed in the fullness of her face and in the small swell of her stomach. It had not become noticeable as of yet, but she knew that the time would be coming where she would have to tell Doggett the truth.  
  
She slid open the drawer to trace the gold flecked letters of Mulder's name, inscribed on a placard that she refused to put far away. It was a reminder, a promise, and a beacon of hope for a woman who had lost far too much. But even its familiar form could do little to comfort her this morning, for it seemed that something had changed in an instant. What that change was, however, was something that she could not quantify or explain. It merely was.  
  
She rubbed two fingers against the bridge of her nose and focused her attention on the door as it opened to reveal her current partner, John Doggett. His was a face that was difficult to interpret, seeming to remain perpetually in the dour "Fibbie" expression. But she knew him to be honorable almost to a fault, and someone whom she could trust as much as she could trust anyone besides Skinner. No matter what they had been through together, no matter how much he had managed to gain her friendship, he was still an outsider when it came to Mulder. Somehow, she suspected that that would always be the case.  
  
"Good morning, Agent Scully," he said as he claimed his chair on the other side of the room. "Agent Doggett," she returned, offering him a tired smile.   
  
He approached her slowly, his investigator's eyes taking in her tired appearance, "How are you this morning?"  
  
"I'm fine," she used the catch-all phrase that encompassed so much of her existence at this point. So many times her mother had asked her 'how was she doing?' and each time she had responded that she 'was fine.' In reality, she did not think she had been 'fine' in the truest sense of the word since Mulder had been kidnapped. Even now, even after Skinner insisted that he had been abducted by some sort of UFO, even after all of these years, she still refused to consider that what Mulder had found in the woods of Oregon was extraterrestrial in nature.  
  
She was taken by the government, and so in the government she assumed that she would find him.  
  
Doggett looked at her skeptically, but allowed the phrase to pass. The more he worked with Agent Scully, the more he learned that she preferred to hide reality behind a 'fine.' However, her pregnancy had apparently mellowed her a little. He could start to tell her emotions through her eyes, and they told much to any who knew how to look. With a sigh, he presented her with a cup of decaffeinated coffee and a frosted jelly donut.  
  
She graced him with a small smile as she accepted his offerings, inhaling the smell of the coffee thankfully. She could never get used to decaff, but it was enough that she could still drink coffee. She thought that if she had to do without the 'pick me up' in the morning; she would never get out of bed. "Thanks."  
  
He nodded acknowledgement of her comment and returned to his desk. Little did he know that the day would turn out far more exciting than either Agent could have even predicted.  
  
****  
Planet : P5X-145  
0730 Hours  
  
Sam watched the setting sun with growing unease. Once night gained a hold on the planet, her job would become both easier and harder. Jaffa had better senses, and better eyesight in the dark than any Tau'ri...but in the darkness both she and Teal'c would have a better chance to rescue the Colonel and Daniel. But could they get near the Colonel without triggering any sort of alarm that this 'Ptah' had set up?  
  
She frowned lightly before she felt Teal'c's hand on her shoulder. Sam turned to face him and he nodded meaningfully towards the clearing that held their teammates. It was time.  
  
With the MP-5 a comforting weight in her hands, she crept after the large former Jaffa towards a more defensible location. If this rescue attempt didn't work, she would have no choice but to return to the SGC and bring reinforcements provided that General Hammond would let her. 'That just means that you're going to have to succeed, Sam,' she mentally chided herself.  
  
****  
  
He really, really, really hated Goa'ulds. With each subsequent punch that doubled him over, he repeated that mantra in his head. Besides, they brought the worst out in him. So what if this Ptah had no sense of humor whatsoever? "Is everyone you hang out with this grim, or do you just rub off on them?"  
  
"Your sense of humor is no defense, Colonel O'Neill. You will tell me what the code is to get to Earth through your stargate."  
  
"I told you already, Snake-head, it's Goto, as in Go To Hell," Jack snapped, ignoring the ache in his already bruised stomach.  
  
Ptah apparently had tired of his witty responses, because he gestured for one of the Jaffa to bring Daniel within easy reach. As he raised his hand, Jack could easily see the golden shape of a hand device strapped to his palm. "You will tell me what I want to know, Colonel, or your friend will die."  
  
Daniel rolled frightened eyes towards the Colonel, but within them, Jack could discern sheer determination. If this was how he was meant to go, Jackson was determined to do it without causing the fall of Earth. Once again, he was reminded just why he loved having Daniel on his team...because of his passion, and because of his sheer bravery. 'I'll get us out of this,' he silently promised him.  
  
"Alright, alright," Jack sighed, slumping as if defeated, "I'll tell you what you want to know. Just let him go."  
  
Ptah began to reply when the bushes near their side of the clearing suddenly ignited in an inferno. The Jaffa immediately aimed their staff weapons at the surrounding bushes and fired haphazardly, and in the distraction, Jack managed to knock both Daniel and the Goa'uld to the ground in a full tackle. The air was filled with staff blasts and bullets as Sam and Teal'c returned fire with the Jaffa.   
  
Jack grabbed Daniel and hooked another arm around the unconscious Goa'uld and began to slowly drag both of them towards cover. He only hoped that this time he might be able to interrogate this bastard of a Goa'uld if only to get the satisfaction of having Ptah realize that the situation has now been reversed. How was it that that quote went? Oh, yeah...'Now I am the Master.'   
  
As he was thinking of witty quotes to use on Ptah when he got him back to Earth, not to mention getting Danny to safety, he realized that the fighting had stopped. Daniel shrugged off his support to glance behind them, smiling once he saw Sam and Teal'c rushing towards them. Now, not only were they free from their captivity...they now had a captive.  
  
"Prisoners are good," Daniel commented.  
  
"Hammond's gonna love THIS one," Jack grinned, and he gestured for his team to head back to the Stargate, and home.

* * *

_**Chapter 2 - Of Goa'ulds and FBI Agents**_  
  
****  
Stargate Command  
Colorado Springs, CO  
Cheyenne Mountain Complex  
10:00 AM CST  
  
General Hammond looked through the thick glass of the cell and frowned thoughtfully at the man pacing back and forth within. According to Major Carter, the man that was currently home to the Goa'uld was a Special Agent Fox Mulder, assigned to Washington, DC. However, what concerned him the most was that this man had come in contact with the Goa'uld. He did not know how that could have occurred when there had been no alien arrivals to the planet that weren't either through the gate or from one of their allied friends. "How did you become a host, Agent Mulder?" Hammond asked rhetorically since the man on the other side of the door had no way of hearing him. Yet, almost as if it had, the creature within the cell turned to the door and grinned.  
  
'This was no one to be trifled with,' he thought, 'Then again, neither am I where Earth's safety is concerned.' Hammond turned and headed for the briefing room. He wanted to learn more about this Mulder, and the best person to learn that from was Major Samantha Carter.  
  
***  
Briefing Room  
  
"...Dana and I still correspond, but the last that I heard from her was roughly three months ago. As far as I know, Mulder was still in Washington at that point. The only one that could tell us for sure, though, is Dana." The blonde haired Major frowned slightly as she considered just what current events might hold for both her friend and for Earth itself. If the Goa'uld had somehow managed to get past Earth's defenses, not to mention past their allies' knowledge, it did not bode well for the future.   
Apparently the General's thoughts were traveling along a similar road as her own, "Major, I'd like you and Colonel O'Neill to head to Washington. The more information that we have about Agent Mulder, the better our chances of actually reaching him. We'll attempt to contact the To'k'ra for help, but the last time that we spoke to them, they were planning a major offensive against the Goa'uld so it might be a while before we receive a response."  
  
"Sir, if the Goa'uld have managed to get past our defenses..." Daniel commented worriedly.  
  
"We'll be in deep shit," Jack finished the archeologist's comment with his usual air. However, his voice held a note of seriousness that was usually absent.  
  
Though General Hammond did not reply, his eyes held a similar thought.  
  
Deep shit indeed.  
  
****  
X-Files Department  
J. Edgar Hoover Building  
Washington, DC  
5:00 PM EST  
  
Dana Scully pushed aside the last file on her desk with a sigh. Despite the fact that since Mulder had been kidnapped, the paperwork from the X-Files department had been completed in record time; both she and Doggett were swamped. Between requisition forms, case reports, and periodic task force updates, the department was knee deep in busy work. She hated it.  
  
What she really wanted to be doing was to be out there in the field, actively searching for clues that might lead her to Mulder. However, the mere fact that she was pregnant had caused all of Skinner's protective instincts to come to the fore. She was relegated to rare case work, but mostly she was tied to a desk as she would be until she gave birth. Birth...now there was something that she had yet to full consider. She was having a baby...Mulder's baby. What should be a source of joy was both that and a source of sorrow since Mulder could not be there with her as she experienced her baby's first kick.  
  
Melancholy settled over her as she prepared to pack up her things to go home. Just as she was ready to pull on her coat, the phone rang.  
  
Doggett immediately answered the phone, which somehow aggravated her since in her heart of hearts she wanted to be the one who would first hear the news that Mulder was home. "This is Agent Doggett." Beat. "She is right here, just a second please," he held his hand over the phone and looked at her curiously, "Agent Scully, a Samantha Carter is on the phone for you."  
  
"Sam?!" she asked in shock before her face was transformed into the first real smile that Doggett had seen. Scully hurried to the other side of the room and picked up her phone, "Sam! I wasn't expecting you to call me. How are you?"  
  
As Doggett looked on, Scully nodded a couple of times before continuing, "Sure, I'd love to meet you two. Where? Deckard's Grill? Ok, I'll see you there. Bye." She put the phone back down into its cradle, and her smile had yet to fade.  
  
"Who was that?" he asked curiously.  
  
"An old friend." Was all the response that he got, but she shot him a smile before she left the office.  
  
He leaned back against his chair dumbfounded.  
  
****  
Deckard's Bar and Grill  
Washington DC  
5:30 PM EST  
  
It wasn't hard spotting Samantha Carter and her tall companion. Their military air, despite their civilian clothes, would be hard to miss despite the casual way that the man was slouched against the back of his chair. Scully smiled brightly at her friend, relieved that she would be able to forget, perhaps for a few hours, the weariness and fear that she had carried for the past few months that Mulder had been gone.  
  
Sam, on the other hand, was shocked at the changes in her friend. Dana had never been a large woman, but as she hugged her in greeting she could feel the sharpness of the agent's shoulder bones. "It's great to see you Dana," she smiled, taking note of her friend's obvious tiredness.  
  
"Same to you, Sam. And this must be your significant other, Colonel Jack O'Neill?" Dana asked curiously even as she held out her hand in greeting.  
  
Jack jerked slightly in shock, even as he caught the beet red face of his XO from the corner of his eye, "Actually, no, I'm just her CO," 'Sadly enough,' he added after that first sentence in his mind, "Pleasure to meet you, though, Ms. Scully. Please call me Jack."   
  
"Jack, then," Scully took a seat next to Sam, mouthing an apology as soon as her friend's face had returned to normal, "I wasn't expecting you to be in town, Sam. I would've met you two at the airport."  
  
"It was rather...unexpected," Sam replied after sharing a glance with Jack, "So, catch up time. Who was that Doggett that answered the phone? Where's Mulder?" She knew that she was walking on egg shells with this question, but it had to be asked.  
  
Scully blanched a little before replying in a soft voice, "He's not here. I haven't seen him in three months."  
  
The two military officer's glances grew concerned, "Dana? What happened?"  
  
"He was on a case in Bellefleur with our boss. He asked me to stay behind, I had been ill...and he was abducted." Her voice trailed off as she stared off into the distance, as if she could cross the barrier of time to save him from his fate.  
  
"Oh god, Dana," Sam reached across the table, placing her hand over her friend's, "I'm so sorry..." The Major glanced at her CO, hurting for her friend. If only she could tell her the truth. If only restrictions weren't in the way...  
  
"Dana," Jack spoke then in a gentle voice, "Do you know who took him?"  
  
"I have my suspicions," Scully replied, shaking her head slowly, "But that's all that they are. I have no proof, just as we have no leads. John Doggett was assigned to my division to be my partner until Mulder returns...but like I said, we have no leads."  
  
Sam was highly tempted to throw caution to the wind and tell her that she knew where Mulder was, but there was nothing that she could do without orders. So she continued to hold her hand over Dana's, and listen to her talk about the months that had passed since Mulder's disappearance.   
  
Jack, on the other hand, felt like a complete and utter ass. Just listening to Dana Scully's account of her futile investigation, missing certain vital parts, he was sure, was enough to bring out all of his protective instincts. He wanted to help, he wanted to take her back to Colorado, but there was little that he could actually do. Damn orders again.  
  
"I'm sure he'll be home soon, Dana," Sam told her friend gently, once she finished her recount of the past. 'As soon as Dad comes home and helps us get Ptah out of Mulder, of course…' she added to herself.  
  
Dana half smiled at Sam before shrugging, "I hope so. I really do." 'For more than one reason,' she added mentally.  
  
"You said that you thought you knew who had taken him, we might be able to help," Jack commented, "Military resources can be a good thing believe it or not."  
  
Scully shook her head slightly, not knowing whether it was a gesture of friendship or another government trap. 'Listen to me, Mulder; you've rubbed off on me way too much.' "I doubt it, but thanks for the offer, Jack. I suspect that you might have troubles finding any sort of information on such a 'minor' case especially where it involves Mulder."  
  
"Paranoia isn't like you, Dana," Sam said with a slight frown.  
  
"Things change," she replied cryptically.  
  
"On that note, shall we order, ladies?" Jack said, trading yet another glance with Sam. Dana Scully, at least in his limited experience, seemed to be one tough nut to crack. Thankfully they had the rest of lunch to do it in.  
  
****  
Tallman Inn  
Room 312  
Bethesda, Maryland  
7:00 PM EST  
  
"Colonel, we've got to ask the General if we can tell Dana about Mulder. It's the only way that we're going to get anything even remotely useful out of her," Sam said as she sat down heavily on her bed.  
  
"How do you know? For cryin' out loud, Carter, we only just met her for lunch. We need to be fast about this, but we can't expect to learn everything there is to know about Mulder in one sitting," Jack replied, frustrated.  
  
"I know that, but there isn't enough time to wait for her to come around. I know Dana, Colonel. She's not going to tell us anymore than she already has. It's a sore subject, and really the only way she'll give us anything is if she knows that Mulder's life is hanging in the balance…"  
  
"Damnit," he cursed quietly, pacing the room, "Then what the hell are we supposed to do?"  
  
"We need to find out how this happened to Mulder, and Dana is the only source that we have for that information. She might even be able to reach him where there's no way that any of us ever could."  
  
"So what do ya suggest, Carter? Invading her home and demanding that she tell us everything that there is to know about Mulder?"  
  
"Not quite like THAT!" Sam replied, shaking her head, "But there's got to be something that we can do. The General won't appreciate our returning without any results."  
  
"Hey, we've got SOME results, Carter. We do know that he's been missing for the past three months after going on a case in Bellefleur. Maybe we can talk to his boss?" Jack said with a shrug.  
  
"Remember our cover story, Colonel. If we talk to AD Skinner, Dana might find out. I still think that Dana might be the one who can actually reach Mulder, especially since all he's currently doing is staring through the window of his cell and glaring at whoever passes."  
  
"Damnit," he cursed again, "We'll have to call Hammond on this one. He…"  
  
Before he could finish his sentence, the door was smashed inward by Special Agent John Doggett's foot. Before the two military officers could do more than spin towards the door in defensive positions, Doggett had his weapon cocked and aimed at Jack.   
  
"I think you two have some explaining to do," John stated in a cold voice, "regarding Agent Mulder." He stared them down, daring them to deny what he'd just heard.  
  
"Looks like that decision's been taken out of our hands," Jack said in a side to Sam, before turning back to Doggett, "Now look, buddy, why don't you just put that gun away so we can talk like civilized people."  
  
"The only time that I'm putting this gun away is when you tell either me or Agent Scully just exactly what you know about Agent Mulder and his whereabouts."   
  
There were two ways that he could look at this situation. One, they were screwed, or two, it was a sign from God that they were supposed to tell Dana Scully about Mulder. He was leaning towards option two. "Alright, fine. But we'll only tell Dana about this."  
  
Doggett gestured for Sam to join Jack, "Then let's get going."  
  
****  
Dana Scully's Apartment  
Annapolis, MD  
7:30 PM EST  
  
By the time that Dana Scully had let herself into her apartment and subsequently collapsed onto her sofa, the sun was beginning to set. It had been a long day, not only because of the paperwork, or that she was able to meet Jack and Sam for lunch, but simply because it was another day of missing Mulder.   
  
With a barely suppressed sigh, she pulled off her jacket and left it hanging haphazardly against the arm of her sofa. She needed to make herself something to eat before too long, and then it was another night of reading a book, or else watching old movie reruns on TV. At least when she kept herself busy, she didn't have as much time to think about all that she had lost.  
  
However, those plans were shattered with the knock on her door. Scully frowned as she approached the door, her hand drifting towards her weapon instinctively. She wasn't expecting anyone, at least not at the moment, so when she looked through the peephole to see Jack, Sam and John Doggett outside she was understandably startled. She unhooked the locks on her door, opening it for them.  
  
The sight of Agent John Doggett ushering Jack O'Neill and Sam Carter into her living room was not something that she had been expecting when she let them in. Indeed, the sight of Agent Doggett's weapon aimed at Jack's back was more than what she was expecting, "Agent Doggett? What is the meaning of this?"  
  
"These two have some explaining to do, specifically to you. I'd keep an eye on them if I were, you, Agent Scully," Doggett warned.  
  
She didn't know whether to give vent to her confusion or to simply nod. She decided to nod, "Alright…but what exactly are you talking about?"  
  
Jack stepped in at this point, "Hey, Dog-boy, you can put the gun away now. We're not going anywhere."  
  
Doggett shot Jack a glare before putting his weapon away. From what Scully could tell Jack had definitely been getting on the Special Agent's nerves. "So talk."  
  
"We'll tell Dana," Sam replied in Jack's stead, shooting the Colonel a quieting look, "But not you. We'll be disobeying orders enough by telling her, and she's really the only one that needs to know."  
  
Scully had enough by this point, "Would you just tell me what the HELL you're talking about?!"  
  
"I overheard them talking about Mulder," Doggett replied.  
  
"Yeah, when he was eavesdropping through our door," Jack interrupted.  
  
"How was I supposed to know that you two were really Agent Scully's friends?" Doggett shot back.  
  
"How are we supposed to know that you've got Dana's best interests at heart?" Jack smirked.  
  
"ENOUGH!" Dana shouted, "You," she pointed at Doggett, "Sit down. You," she pointed at Jack, "Chill out. And you," she pointed at Sam, "Just stand there. I feel like I'm dealing with children here…"  
  
"He certainly seems like one, doesn't he," Doggett muttered, before claming up when Scully shot him a look.  
  
"Now look, I don't really care about any sort of argument that you two have right now. What I do care about is Mulder. If you two know something about him, then tell me now."  
  
"Dog-boy's still here, though," Jack said, shooting Doggett a look.  
  
"Fine, I can send him into the bedroom with the door closed if that's what it takes."  
  
"He might eavesdrop again, or try on your underwear," O'Neill commented.  
  
She wanted to pull out her gun and shoot him, "Jack, enough! Agent Doggett, please just go into the bedroom and close the door."  
  
Once Doggett was out of the room, safely enclosed in her bedroom, Dana looked between Jack and Samantha before continuing, "Now, will you tell me what you know?"  
  
"I hope that Dog-boy's comfortable in there!" Jack said loudly.  
  
"Sir!"   
  
"What?" Jack asked innocently, "Oh alright. There's not much that we can go into here, Dana, since most of it's classified. But suffice it to say that on one of our missions, we found Mulder."  
  
Dana felt like a hammer had just been shoved through her stomach, "You what?" she asked in a soft voice.  
  
Sam shared a look with the Colonel before continuing, "But he's been infected with a classified material, and he's not acting like himself."  
  
"You might even say he currently has some delusions of grandeur," Jack said.  
  
"What Agent Doggett overheard was our debate about how to tell you without disobeying orders. But that's a moot point now. Would you be willing to come with us back to our base? Maybe you can reach him where none of us could?" Sam suggested.  
  
Scully just looked at them for a few moments before finding her voice again, "You found Mulder? If what you just said is true, I want you to take me to him…"  
  
"Of course, Dana…I'm sorry that we couldn't tell you earlier," Sam said gently.  
  
The FBI Agent just shook her head, "I don't know what to say to you, Sam, I just don't. But the more time that we waste here, is more time away from Mulder. Let's just go."  
  
Only after Doggett was let out of her room and appraised of what Scully was about to do, did the two military officers finally get a chance to talk quietly to each other.  
  
"Did you see her face?" Sam asked the Colonel quietly.  
  
"Yeah, she's in shock. I'm a little worried about taking her to the mountain, especially since what it might do to her. You know her better than I do, do you think she could handle it?"  
  
"For Mulder? I think she can handle anything," she replied.

* * *

_**Chapter 3 - Scully, Ptah. Ptah, Scully.**_  
  
****  
Stargate Command  
Colorado Springs, CO  
Cheyenne Mountain Complex  
Twenty Hours Later  
  
"You did what?!" Hammond asked as he paced around the room, "I didn't give you two permission to invite her down here. Let alone give you permission to tell her where Mulder was."  
  
"Sir, Dana Scully might be just the person that we need to get through to Mulder, and not to Ptah. If he feels anything like what Dana feels for him, he's sure to try to speak to her."  
  
"You realize that if I allow this, this could easily blow the Stargate program into the public spotlight. If Agent Scully's track record is anything like Agent Mulder's, just by bringing her to the mountain is enough," the General asked seriously.   
  
Jack nodded sullenly, "We do, sir, but there's one added bonus. Agent Scully comes from a military family, just as she can easily sign a confidentiality agreement. She's willing to do it, too, sir, if only to see Agent Mulder."  
  
"To add to that, sir," Carter continued, "I doubt that Dana cares much beyond what she can do to help Mulder."  
  
"She'll learn far too much about the Stargate project if we allow her access to Mulder, Colonel, Major, but I will rely on your judgment. But she will have access to Mulder only after she signs that confidentiality agreement."  
  
"You can count on that John Hancock," Jack replied as he and Carter stood and saluted.  
  
"Dismissed."  
  
****  
Level 24  
  
Scully paced around the room that Sam and Jack had left her in, wondering just what she would do if this General Hammond decided to persecute the two military officers for telling her about Mulder. She was inside the Military base, that was certain, and from the length of the elevator ride, she knew that they were quite a ways down.   
  
She ended up taking a seat on one of the leather-clad chairs that were placed neatly around a long table. She might as well spare her feet while she waited, no matter how much she wanted to pace.  
  
About ten minutes later, the door opened to reveal a much subdued Jack and Samantha. The latter offered her a tired smile before she placed a stack of papers in front of the FBI Agent. "What's this?"  
  
"Typical red tape," Jack replied with a shrug, "Basically it says that you won't divulge any top secret stuff that you learn while you're down here unless you want to get drawn and quartered."  
  
"It's not quite THAT drastic," Sam shook her head, "It's just legality things that need to be taken care of before you can see Mulder."  
  
Scully nodded and glanced through the sheets before her. It was basically as Jack had described it, so she didn't feel too bad about signing her name at the bottom. Anything to get to Mulder…  
  
"Alright, now that that's done, we've been given permission to tell you about what exactly happened to Mulder. At least, what we currently know. But really to do that, the best way is to have Dr. Jackson talk to you." Jack went to the door and opened it to reveal a tall man with dark brown hair. His handsome features were accentuated with a pair of glasses that reminded her all too well of Mulder's affection of the same type when he was reading.   
  
"Um, hi," Daniel smiled at the fiery haired Agent, "I'm Daniel Jackson. Uh...before I go into the details, how much do you know about ancient Egypt?"  
  
She didn't know what she was expecting, but that question definitely wasn't it, "Mostly I know about the Egyptian gods from my mythology course in college and from my partner's fascination with them. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, what you've learned about ancient Egypt is only part of the truth," Daniel said, looking somewhat nervously at Jack. This was the part where there was no turning back, "Basically, the Egyptian gods were real. It was a revolt by the ancient Egyptians that sent them away from this planet, and they haven't been back since. But, before they left, they took with them a number of humans to serve as slaves."  
  
"Wait a minute, did you just say planet?" Dana asked incredulously. This was something that she could expect out of Mulder, not out of someone who looked as intellectual and down to earth as Daniel Jackson.  
  
"Um, yeah I did. You see, the Egyptian Gods were actually alien creatures called the Goa'uld. These aliens take humans as hosts, since our bodies apparently are easily healed by their technology."  
  
She had just walked into the Twilight Zone, she was certain of it, "How is that possible? Even if what you say is true, the Egyptian gods should be dead by now. That was thousands of years ago."  
  
"Actually, no. They can keep human bodies alive indefinitely."  
  
The medical doctor in her rebelled in her at that comment, "That's impossible."  
  
Daniel looked helplessly at Jack and he shrugged in reply, "Well…maybe it would be easier to show her. You're going to see something that no one outside of this base and the upper echelons of the government have ever seen before. We call it the Stargate."  
  
Dana Scully didn't know what to expect, but she agreed to follow them out of the room. What she would see in the next few hours would shake the carefully built foundations of her scientific mind almost to the breaking point.   
  
****  
Stargate Room  
  
"Oh my God, Mulder was right all along," she breathed as she took in the two story ring and its surroundings. It looked far too much like the dream that she had had two nights ago, but she knew that she had never seen anything like it before. "How is this possible?"  
  
"The stargates were created thousands of years ago by a species called the Ancients. The Goa'uld now use them as a way to travel between worlds without having to deal with their starships all the time. It was also the way that they kept their slaves under control, the continuous threat of their 'gods' arrival usually kept them under control. This 'gate was found in 1923 at a dig in Egypt, but it was only four years ago that we found out how it actually worked. Colonel O'Neill and Daniel were among the first humans from this time to use the gate to travel to another world. We found out then that there was a way to travel to other worlds besides that initial world by changing the sequence of glyphs that were input into the device," Sam replied, "I know that it seems incredible, Dana, but as you can see, it's the truth." Sam looked at her friend carefully, taking in her expression. She knew how she felt, but she knew that once Dana saw the Stargate, her doubts would vanish. No one could look at the ring without experiencing some sort of scientific wonder that something such as this could exist.  
  
"How does Mulder fit into all of this?" Scully asked once she tore her gaze away from the gate.  
  
"We were on another planet when we found him, but he is no longer the Mulder that you know, Dana. He has been taken as a host by a Goa'uld known as Ptah."   
  
"Take me to him, please."  
  
"Come on, Dana, maybe you can reach him since all he seems to do now is glare at us," Jack replied, gesturing towards the door.  
  
***  
Brig  
Mulder's Cell  
  
The expression on her face was one of pure anguish and of relief as she rested her hands and her forehead against the cool metal of the door to Mulder's cell. It was him, she was certain of it, yet it was an unfamiliar personality that was staring at her through his eyes. She tore her gaze away from that of Mul…no, the Goa'uld to look at Sam, "Can I talk to him?"  
  
Sam grimaced a little before she nodded, "Sure, but one of us needs to be in there with you. He's unpredictable, Dana, because it's not really Mulder that's in there."  
  
Scully nodded slightly before she turned expectantly towards the door. Her scientific foundations had been sorely rattled, but at this moment she could care less if the ghost of Napoleon had suddenly taken up residence in her partner's body.   
  
Sam opened the door with her hand kept on the handle of her weapon as she allowed Scully and then herself inside. Jack and Daniel waited nervously outside the door, though the Colonel kept his eyes on the scene unfolding within the cell. If anything turned for the worse, he would be in there in an instant.  
  
Inside the cell, Scully was struck speechless as she stared at Mulder as he stood before her. It was him…"Mulder?" She could see him, the real him, returning her stare with anguished eyes.  
  
"Scu…" he began hesitantly, each letter seeming to have been torn from him. No further portions of Scully's name escaped from the man's lips as the expression that had been pure Mulder faded. The man's eyes glowed as he sneered at the Special Agent before him, "So you are the one that my host has been most insistent on returning to. It is good to know that you do exist, because I shall cherish every moment of killing you to experience my host's anguish."  
  
"Release him," she demanded quietly.  
  
"You must be joking," Ptah laughed harshly, "I'm quite comfortable where I am, Dana. May I call you Dana?"  
  
"YOU may not," Scully replied in disgust, "I want to speak to Mulder."  
  
"I'm sure you do, my dear Dana," Ptah replied with a suave smile, "But you'll have to settle for me. Besides, I'm certain that I will be far more…entertaining than your Mulder could ever be." His smile widened as he reached out to brush his hand against Scully's cheek. She flinched at the contact but retained her steady stare at the Goa'uld System Lord.  
  
"Who are you? How did you manage to capture Mulder?" she asked, hoping that in his reply she might find some way to rescue him.  
  
"I am Ptah, my dear Dana. And Mulder was, shall we say, delivered to me as fealty from some of my subjects. But enough of that, my dear. Tell me, is our child well?"  
  
If she had felt like a sledgehammer had been driven into her when she found out that Mulder was still alive, she now felt as if someone had just doused her with a million gallons of water just before tossing her off the nearest cliff. How could he have known? She hadn't even known of her baby's existence until just after Mulder's abduction.  
  
Sam, on the other hand, was just as shocked as Dana but for different reasons. While she knew that Dana had feelings for Mulder, she had no idea that they had passed that fine line between partner and lover. Realizing that the Goa'uld could very well have been using that to distract her, she immediately returned her attention to Ptah.  
  
"I'm sorry," Scully replied in a somewhat convincing denial, "I have no idea what you are talking about. Mulder and I have no child."  
  
"No?" Ptah replied with an oily grin, "Then tell me, Dana, why is it that you keep your hand protectively around your stomach and keep trying to deny that single night of passion that we experienced together?"  
  
"You bastard," the fiery haired woman sneered at him, "If you consider this to be nothing more than a source of entertainment for you, then you can go straight to hell."  
  
"Such strong words," Ptah tisked, "It hurts that you'd think that of me. It was a wonderful night, my dear. Surely you remember…"  
  
It was enough for Scully. She had handled more than enough of the Goa'uld's sneering, and it took no more than a flicker of anger in her eyes before the small woman had forced the Goa'uld against the wall, "Now listen to me you bastard. You will let me talk to Mulder, NOW, or I'll show you just how creative I can get with pain."  
  
"You will not hurt me," Ptah said confidently, "I am in the body of your beloved, if you harm me, you are also harming him. Perhaps a demonstration would be of some use?" The Goa'uld's eyes glazed over as suddenly the body in Scully's arms began to convulse.  
  
"Get a doctor in here, now!" Sam hollered at Jack and Daniel through the door, before she approached Dana and Ptah.  
  
Low groans emitted from Mulder's lips as he looked in anguish at Scully's tortured expression, "Don…Don't let him get to you, Scu…lly. He likes…th…pain…of…others."  
  
"Mulder!" she replied, reaching up to touch his face. At that point, the Goa'uld reasserted control and gripped Scully's arm in a tight hold.   
  
Ptah grinned down at her and pulled her to him in a bruising kiss, "You see, my dear Dana? I am the one in control."  
  
That was when Sam hit Ptah over the head with the butt of her rifle, sending the Goa'uld into an unconscious slump against the wall. "I don't think so," Sam told the unconscious form before she turned her attention to the shuddering form of Dana Scully, "Dana?"  
  
Scully wrapped her arms around her friend and simply shuddered as she struggled to regain control even as Doctor Fraiser pushed past them both to look at Mulder.   
  
"You gave him a good knock in the skull, Major, but he'll be fine," Doctor Fraiser reported as she stood from examining Mulder a few minutes later.  
  
"Thank you, Janet," Sam smiled for the doctor's benefit over her friend's head. Dana released her hold on Sam and stepped away, echoing Sam's thanks.  
  
"Not a problem. He should be waking soon, but after a blow like that I'll come back later to check on him," Janet looked between Dana and Sam before nodding, "If you have any further problems, let the MPs know and they'll get a hold of me."  
  
"Will do," Sam replied.  
  
Janet nodded and left the room, leaving Sam and Dana with Mulder. "Can we just…leave for the time being?" Scully asked her friend softly, needing to be out of the room and away from the facsimile of Fox Mulder as soon as possible. She couldn't take much more of the hurtful comments coming from the lips of the man that she loved…even though it truthfully wasn't him. If she had had troubles believing before…those doubts were erased after her conversation with Ptah.  
  
"Of course, Dana," Sam replied, escorting her friend outside the cell, "Do you want to get something to eat, or just go someplace to talk?"  
  
"Right now…I'd just like to have some time to myself," she smiled sadly, "It's a bit much, you know?"  
  
"Yes, I do," the Major replied, "Come on, Dana, I'll take you to your quarters on base. General Hammond offered you the space, and he would like to meet you later. Just give me a call when you're ready come out."  
  
"Will do."

* * *

_**Chapter 4 - Ghosts of the Past, Present and Future**_  
  
****  
Briefing Room  
Two Hours Later  
  
When Dana Scully entered the briefing room following Carter, Jack noted in his usual succinct way that she looked like hell. Then again, after what Ptah had put her through made him want to march himself down to that snake-head's cell and put his fist through his face. He did not, read not, like it when someone like that oily worm mistreated anyone let alone a pregnant woman. It might have been some measure of chivalry that had been drilled into him by his father, or else it was the memory of what it was like when Sara was pregnant with his son, but anything like that made his blood boil.   
  
Carter gave him a look that basically told him to keep his mouth shut and not comment about Dana's condition, so he did, for now. But he wouldn't hesitate to pipe up when and or if the subject came up during the meeting. Dana smiled at him before she took a seat across from him and next to Carter and he smiled back before turning his attention towards the door.  
  
Daniel and Teal'c had already arrived, and he supposed that Dana had been too involved in her own thoughts to truly pay attention to the others in the room besides himself since her expression as she looked at the Jaffa was one of pure curiosity.   
  
He took it upon himself to make the introductions, "Dana, Daniel you already know, and this is Teal'c. Teal'c, meet Special Agent Dana Scully from the FBI."  
  
"I am honored to meet you, DanaScully," the tall Jaffa nodded elegantly.  
  
"And I you," she replied, eying his golden tattoo.  
  
"I am Jaffa," Teal'c said when he noted her curiosity.  
  
"Jaffa?"  
  
"He's not from around here..." Sam told Dana quietly, trying to judge her reaction to such news.  
  
"He's from another planet," Dana completed quietly, accepting what she saw for face value. She had already seen far too much in this single day than she had in a very long time. She was going through shock, culture shock in a way...but far more like the shock one goes through after an emotional and mental overload.   
  
"Yup," Jack replied, echoing Sam's attempt to judge her reaction. It was at this point that General Hammond entered the room.  
  
"I assume that this is Miss Scully?" he asked in his soft Texan drawl, but something in his voice cause Dana to immediately turn towards him like a flower seeks the sun. And her face turned pale.  
  
"I...I'm sorry sir," she replied, unable to pull her eyes away from him, "But you bear an incredible likeness to my father."  
  
Jack was tempted to make some quip about doppelgangers and Hammond being the evil twin, but he kept quiet after Carter kicked him in the shin.  
  
"Really? What is his name?"  
  
"Captain William Scully, USN," she replied, "But he died several years ago."  
  
"I'm sorry, Miss Scully."  
  
"Thank you," she replied quietly.  
  
"I know that you are going through a lot right now, and I won't ask you for a great deal. But I need to know everything that you know about Mulder, and what happened three months ago before his disappearance."  
  
Sam placed her hand over Dana's as she began her reply, "He was on a case in Bellefleur Oregon with our boss. AD Skinner had accompanied Mulder instead of myself since I was feeling ill at the time and Mulder asked me not to go. During that case, Skinner told me that he and Mulder had gone into the woods and once they passed some sort of red laser a bright light appeared to engulf Mulder and the next thing that Skinner knew was that he was alone in the forest and Mulder was gone."  
  
"That sounds like a ring device," Sam commented.  
  
"It could be," Hammond replied, rubbing his chin, "But we probably won't know unless we can actually speak to Mulder as apposed to Ptah."  
  
"Sir, do you know when the To'kra are supposed to get here?" Jack piped up, "We could use their help to get the snake out of Mulder's head." He hated asking for the To'kra's help, even though they could be useful…'In certain situations, like this one,' he added silently. True, Jacob was a nice enough guy even if he did agree to have a snake put in his head. If he admitted it to himself, he kind of liked Selmac… He'd better not let Sam know about that, though. After the entire Anise incident, she wasn't too happy with his To'kra comments.  
  
"We received a message from the To'kra a few hours ago, and they will be coming within the next 12 hours."  
  
"The who?"  
  
"The To'kra are aliens who are fighting against the Goa'uld for the freedom of the galaxy. They're our allies," Sam said, shooting a quelling glance at Jack when he almost blurted out a 'yah right.'  
Scully nodded slightly, "And what exactly will…" Before Dana could finish her comment, a young Lieutenant hurried into the room and murmured into the General's ears. General Hammond was beginning to look exactly like what her father did when one of her siblings, or even herself, did something exceptionally stupid.   
  
"Colonel O'Neill, please escort Miss Scully to her quarters and then join me in my office," Hammond said in a curt voice, standing from the table.   
  
Jack and the others traded glances after the General left and voiced the thought that was running through all of the SG-1 team's members minds. "Uh oh."  
  
****  
General Hammond's Office  
Ten Minutes Later  
  
Jack O'Neill walked into General Hammond's office with a cursory knock on the door to only come face to face with his nemesis in blue - Colonel Maybourne. "General, I didn't think we were allowing jerks in Stargate Command."  
  
Maybourne smiled that particular oily smile that Jack thought he had permanently sealed onto his face, "Charming as ever, Jack. I hear that the NID has you to give thanks to for the delivery of a Goa'uld into our hands."  
  
"Woah, hang on, wait a minute here, who said that the NID was going to get Ptah?" Jack looked at General Hammond with a confused look on his face. What he saw in his friend's face only caused a sinking feeling in the depths of his stomach.  
  
"His papers are in order, Colonel," Hammond said with a low sigh, "I've contacted the President, but he's in a meeting at the moment and won't be able to reply for a couple of hours."  
  
"Which means," Maybourne interjected, "That Agent Mulder is relinquished to my custody for immediate transfer to Area 51."   
  
Jack fought the temptation to wipe that self-satisfied look off of Maybourne's face, "General, permission to speak freely?"  
  
"Permission denied, Colonel. I know what you're going to say, and normally I'd agree with you. But there's nothing that I can do." General Hammond replied with a slow shake of his head, he was as reluctant in this as Jack was, but there was nothing that he could do. NID had provincial authority over the SGC, and Colonel Maybourne, no matter how much he despised the man himself, had proper authorization to gain custody of Agent Mulder. He was, by no means, happy about it, however his hands were tied.  
  
Jack worked his lower jaw and tried to content himself with glaring daggers at Maybourne, but it was little comfort. To think that they had gone through as much as they had to bring Dana to Colorado and the Tok'ra to Earth to only have the NID take Mulder away was enough to give him an ulcer.   
  
"Thank you General, I'll be leaving with Mulder very shortly," Maybourne nodded his head slightly at the General before turning his attention to O'Neill, "I'm sure we'll be speaking again, Jack." With those parting words, he left the office.  
  
Jack muttered under his breath, "Count on it." He looked back at the General and ran a hand through his hair before seating himself, "General, I'd like to submit a formal complaint about this transfer."  
  
"I know that you do, Jack, and I've already noted it in my file along with my own. There isn't anything that I can do until the President returns my call."  
  
"What are we going to tell Dana?" Jack asked with a heart-felt sigh.  
  
"The truth…I think she'd want that," George replied.  
  
The two men looked at each other rather reluctantly before Jack stood and walked out of the office. He knew that he'd end up being the one to break this to Dana, and that was something that he wouldn't ask anyone else to do.   
  
*****  
Dana Scully's Temporary Quarters  
  
Scully glanced between her friend and Daniel and Teal'c who had both said that they wished to sit with her for a while. She knew that it was a show of support, for which she was thankful. Sam had found a good group of people to work with let alone a strong group of friends. She smiled for their benefit and leaned against the back of the simple bed in her temporary quarters, "Do you have any idea what that was about?"  
  
"No," Sam replied, shaking her head, "I haven't seen General Hammond look that angry since…"  
  
"…Since Colonel Maybourne last graced us with his presence," Jack completed as he entered the room after knocking quietly.  
  
"Maybourne? What is he doing here?" Sam asked in disbelief.  
  
"Simple, we've basically gift wrapped a Goa'uld for him and his NID freaks to experiment on. General Hammond couldn't stop him from claiming Ptah…" Colonel O'Neill completed as he shook his head.  
  
"Wait a minute," Scully interrupted, looking between O'Neill's saddened expression and Sam's disgusted one, "Who's Colonel Maybourne and what is he doing with Mulder?"  
  
"He's got the proper clearances for Mulder to be transferred into his custody, Dana. He's been after us for years to provide the NID with a Goa'uld symbiont to experiment on, host withstanding. General Hammond and I could do nothing…but Hammond is going to be calling in several favors to try and get Mulder back."  
  
Her face lost some of its color, "What will he do to him?"  
  
"I don't know," Jack answered truthfully, "He's been after Teal'c for years, but Hammond won't stand for it. I'm just hoping that the President can jump in and stop this before something happens to Mulder."  
  
"Where is Maybourne taking him?" Scully asked in a tight voice, already planning a rescue mission in her mind. She had done it before, and all that she would have to do now was to contact the Gunmen for some help on their end. It all depended on where Mulder was being taken.  
  
"Area 51 aka Dreamland," Sam replied, "That's where the NID has its main researchers and supplies. But Dana…you can't get into Area 51, you don't have the proper clearances…"  
  
Scully smiled slightly, "I have my sources, and there's no way that I'm going to let Mulder be taken apart by this Maybourne."  
  
"Who said that we were going to?" Jack asked in a hurt voice, "Dana, you're our friend, and there's no way that I'd wish Maybourne on my worst enemy let alone a friend."  
  
"Um…Jack, isn't Maybourne your worst enemy?" Daniel questioned as he shifted the position of his glasses on his nose.  
  
"Technicalities…nothing but technicalities," Jack waved his hand dismissively, "It's going to take a while for the General to get a hold of the President, but I think we can arrange a little rescue mission of our own. The President owes us some favors…"  
  
Sam shook her head at Jack's bravado, but she knew that he had a good point. With the number of times that they had literally saved the Earth from a fiery death, the least the President could do would be to pull some strings. The group began to quietly discuss their options for freeing Mulder, unknowing that every word they uttered was being recorded.

* * *

_**Chapter 5 - Smoke and Fire**_  
  
****  
Unknown Location  
Same Time  
  
Wisps of smoke curled about the man's head in a grey halo, illuminated only by the flare of the cigarette as he pulled another drag. He couldn't help the self satisfied smile that crossed his face when he pictured how far they had come. The plan was progressing on schedule, especially given the fact that Colonel O'Neill had brought back a live Goa'uld. There had been many times during the past few months that either he or his subordinate had received requests from the scientists at this facility for a Goa'uld symbiont. A live host, however, was a bonus.  
  
He released another puff of smoke as he witnessed the frenzied activity across the cavernous room. He allowed himself a moment of pity for the man that he had protected for so long. To be held hostage in one's head by an alien creature had to be agony for the young man. That moment of pity ended quickly and he quickly crossed the room to speak quietly with the Lt. Colonel in charge of the assembly of the chamber.   
  
"Has the Goa'uld awakened?"   
  
"Yes sir. He seems to realize that he has been liberated from his former quarters," the Colonel stole an uneasy glance at the room which had been converted into a combination holding cell and torture chamber. One of his men had underestimated this Ptah's enhanced strength and had lost his life in payment for that mistake.   
  
"Excellent," the cigarette smoking man replied with an oily smile. He left the officer behind to look inside the room that was the current holding cell for Ptah. The alien was looking at the door as if he realized that he was outside, and he suppressed the automatic shiver that ran down his spine. A predator lurked beyond that door, a predator that would have no problem in killing him to gain his freedom. It was lucky for his organization as well as himself that he was the more dangerous creature within the four walls of the building.  
  
He opened the door to the room and stood just within, inhaling the smoke from his cigarette before speaking, "Cooperation with us would be beneficial."  
  
"Cooperation?" Ptah sneered, "That is not what you want, Spender. Yes," he said after noting the flicker of shock on the other man's face, "I know who you are through the memories of this host. He does hate you despite all that you have done for him."  
  
"You should tell us of your strongholds, your strengths…how many ships you have and what System Lords are your enemies. We have not heard of you, Ptah, and you will tell me why." Spender stepped forward into the room, blowing his smoke into the face of the Goa'uld. The creature could nothing other than sneer at him since it was strapped to the chair.  
  
"It was part of my plan, Spender, that you should not know me before I attacked," Ptah replied agreeably. "I have no part in the treaty that protects this world. You are losing your war, Spender, and I will be there when this planet is destroyed. You are right to fear me, but you could be of some use to me."  
  
A laugh escaped the cigarette smoking man, "You are in no position to bargain, Ptah. You had the option of cooperation, but since you will not it is up to us to determine more." He motioned for the doctors gathered on the side of the room to move in, "Try not to injure him too badly. I will return later to see how cooperative he can be." He left the room and it wasn't long after his departure that the sound of a drill echoed through the cavernous building. A satisfied smile crossed his lips as he pulled another drag on his cigarette.  
  
Soon, he would have all that he had wanted.  
  
****  
'Operation Sparky' HQ  
aka Jack O'Neill Residence  
Colorado Springs, CO  
  
Jack passed out beer to the rather eclectic group of military and civilian personnel gathered in his living room. They had been at this impromptu mission planning session for many hours, indeed his eyes felt like they had been plastered open. He rubbed his eyes wearily and sank gratefully into his favorite chair. The pizza had been consumed hours earlier, and most of his team was blinking wearily. The only person who was still wide awake and alert was Dana Scully. Jack turned his attention to the fiery haired woman with barely disguised concern. She had been running straight since God only knew when that morning and now, after finding Mulder, they had to find a way to rescue him.   
  
To tell the truth, he was more worried about her and the baby that she carried than he was with Mulder's current plight. Sure, he sympathized with the guy, but he was the current host of a particularly slimy Goa'uld. He couldn't help but think Ptah was getting his just desserts for being such a conniving bastard. Still, he wouldn't wish Mulder's current fate on his worst enemy. Even Maybourne deserved better than that. Maybe not MUCH better than that, but some.  
  
"Jack, we should either get on the road or get some sleep," Daniel pointed out after he pushed his glasses back up his nose. Jack was certain that one of these days the glasses would end up on the floor in pieces. He was tempted to start up a betting pool back at the base for it. After all, he was racking up quite a bit with the 'Will Daniel get hurt/captured on this mission?' pool.  
  
O'Neill nodded; trust the archaeologist to point out what he wasn't quite ready to. He was tired, yes, but he did know that they needed to get going. Between Carter and himself they'd be able to charter a plane and fly themselves to Nevada, he just wasn't looking forward to the inevitable credit card bill.   
  
"Alright, campers, grab your duffles and let's get going," Jack said with a joviality that he didn't quite feel.   
  
His team was actually slower than Dana Scully in grabbing their gear and following him out to his Jeep and Dana's Taurus. The team would split between the two cars, with his leading to the airport and Sam directing Dana should they get separated. It would take a few hours for them to reach Nevada once they were airborne; he just hoped that they wouldn't be too late to save Mulder. Dismissing such dismal thoughts with a sharp shake of his head, he pulled out of his drive way and led the way through the chilly Colorado night.  
  
****  
Groom Lake Facility  
Area 51  
  
Cigarette butts lined the floor in a damning reminder of the number of hours he had spent watching, listening, and participating in the 'debriefing' of the Goa'uld. An oily smile crossed his face as he inhaled another whiff of the cancerous smoke into his lungs. "You should cooperate with us, Ptah. It would be much easier on you."  
  
The Goa'uld was looking much worse for wear than the last time he had visited the tiny room where it was held - sporting several burn marks, scratches, bruises, and deep gashes. He could still see a spark of life in its eyes as it turned its burning regard towards him. "You are a fool, Tau'ri. Your plans will fail. You know it as well as I. Yet you continue to pretend that your petty little conspiracy will save your pitiful planet. You think this torture of yours does anything more than harm this host? You are a fool, Spender."   
  
Sudden rage filled him, causing his eyes to darken like the ashes that fell from his cigarette, "Kill him for his impertinence." He stated in an icy voice. One of the technicians looked at him in shock, but he was unconcerned. He knew that they could bring him back to life far too easily. This was only to prove a point. He was the more dangerous in the room.  
  
"Sir…" another technician began.   
  
The smoking man fixed him with a glare fit to ice hell over. Instead of forcing the technician to perform the deed, he pulled the gun from his holster and aimed it at the creature's stomach. "You know how long it takes for a man to die with a stomach wound, Ptah? Several hours, if not days…I know you are weak now so it might take much less time. But remember, we will bring you back and repeat this process over again until you tell us what we want to know."  
  
Ptah sneered at the weapon, "You dare to threaten me, Tau'ri? Fool! It will take far more than this to intimidate me. You are nothing, Spender…just a…pretender to the power that you claim. You are no System Lord."  
  
The room filled with metallic thunder. The cigarette smoking man smiled as he watched the body strapped to the dentist's chair jerk with each impact. He felt a great deal of satisfaction as he heard the creature's scream though for one moment his heart quailed as he heard Fox Mulder's voice emerge in a tortured scream. His scientists had told him that extreme pain could cause the host to be able to take over for a few minutes.   
  
Perhaps he was moved by some measure of pity in his otherwise ice clad heart to move closer to the bound body. It might have been even a remembrance of feelings that he had once held for Mulder's mother, but he looked into the pain filled eyes of Fox Mulder and whispered a few words, "I'm sorry, son."  
  
Mulder looked at him in accusation before Ptah took over again, "You have feelings for this host." His voice sounded both astonished and pleased. "Perhaps you wish to speak with him, Spender? To tell him how sorry you are for killing him? For torturing him? Or would you like to see me harm this host? I can easily take another, Tau'ri. Perhaps I will take you."  
  
He could not move away fast enough, cursing his fear even as the Goa'uld laughed. He had given it something to torment him with but it did not realize that he was a man who had done a great deal of unpleasant things in his lifetime. Killing and torturing his blood relative was minor in comparison. "You taunt, Ptah, and you threaten. Yet you never carry through. Is this why you're such a minor System Lord? Oh…wait…you're not a System Lord now are you?"  
  
Ptah turned his head to stare at the other man, his lips twisting in contempt, "I was, Tau'ri."  
  
"Yet, through your own actions you lost what you had. You're nothing now, nothing other than a creature that belongs to me. I will learn your secrets, Ptah, and you will gladly tell them. I'll leave you in your pain filled misery. The next time that you will see me will be after I pull you from our sarcophagus for more. You have the option to talk now, Ptah," he offered as he dropped the cigarette butt to the floor. The Goa'uld only spat at his feet and Spender's lips curled into a smile, "Enjoy your death. It will be the first of many." With those parting words, Spender and the technicians left the room.  
  
***  
Somewhere over the Rockies  
  
The tiny Cessna provided cramped quarters for the tall Colonel and the bulky Jaffa, but it seemed like everyone else was as comfortable as they could be given the time and the fact that they were crammed inside like sardines. Jack muttered a little under his breath as he shifted his legs. He was just glad that he was in the pilot's seat and not next to Teal'c in the very back of the tiny plane.   
  
Jack yawned widely and glanced around guiltily to make sure no one else saw his moment of weakness. He was getting damn tired and he knew that he'd have to poke Carter awake shortly if they were going to manage to land the plane. "Carter."  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Pssht, hey, Carter! Wake up, Major," he said again as he reached over to gently shake his 2IC's shoulder.  
  
Her hair had somehow managed to gain that rumpled look of someone who had just been pulled out of bed, and he smiled slightly before he shook her shoulder a little harder, "Carter! Come on, Sam, I need you to wake up."  
  
A wide yawn was his answer and a pair of blue eyes blinking at him. "Sir?" The word was half mumbled before she shook herself awake with a more practiced move, "Sorry sir, I was really tired."  
  
"I know, Carter. But I need to get some shut eye before we land this puppy. Think you can manage while I take a nap?"  
  
"Certainly sir," she replied, shifting her position so she was more upright.  
  
"Thanks, Carter. Wake me before you get ready to land."  
  
"Will do, Colonel," she replied even as he settled himself back and tipped the brim of his hat to hide his eyes. She could hear soft snoring a few seconds later and Sam spared him a fond smile before returning her attention to the controls.  
  
Dawn was just beginning to break over the horizon, casting shades of red and orange across the slowly awakening land beneath the plane. Sam couldn't get over how peaceful this world was at this time of the day, especially given all that she had her compatriots went through every day to make sure that it stayed the same. In her most horrific nightmares she saw this peaceful land torn apart by staff blasts and the malicious will of the Goa'uld. Once again, she reaffirmed silently both to herself and the unknowing public that she would make sure that nothing would happen to the Earth while she was still alive.   
  
Her inner thoughts were interrupted by some shifting in the back of the plane and she spared a glance to see Daniel sprawled against the window, his glasses askew and a tiny bit of drool escaping his gaping mouth. Her eyes slid over the impassive Jaffa, sitting like a solemn statue in the back of the Cessna as if the cramped space meant little to nothing to him, to rest upon the red haired Special Agent that was fidgeting next to Daniel. "Dana? Are you okay?"  
  
Scully's head jerked a little as if Sam's voice had startled her, "Yeah, Sam, I'm fine." Her lips twitched a little as she heard her friend's sigh. Samantha Carter knew her far too well, "As fine as I can be considering the military is doing god knows what to Mulder at Area 51 and that I'm sitting in a tiny plane crammed full of one sarcastic Colonel, my old college friend, an absent minded archaeologist and an alien."  
  
"In other words, you're doing just peachy," Sam completed with a soft laugh which was joined by Scully.  
  
"Yeah. How do you do it every day, Sam? Dealing with the Goa'uld? Dealing with the fact that you can never tell anyone the truth?" Scully asked curiously. Deep within her heart she sympathized with her friend - it had to be hard to live life as she did. 'No harder than the life you lead, Dana,' she realized, 'She has Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c. You just have Mulder…or had him until he was abducted. You might even have Skinner, but it is nothing like Sam's support structure.' Her own mother knew only the fringes of the true impact and danger of her work.  
  
"I just do," Sam replied after a moment's worth of thought, "I have my team to talk to, who understands what I'm going through, and even my Dad. I'm lucky in that though it makes it no less hard. I almost think that your job is far worse than mine. You deal with the human evil on this world which is no less dangerous than the Goa'uld if not more so."  
  
"That's something that we can both agree on," she smiled slightly, though the expression appeared pained.  
  
"Dana," Sam ventured, turning her head to meet her friend's eyes before turning back to watch the instruments, "I'm sorry about Mulder."  
  
"Yeah, me too," Scully replied softly and said nothing else for the hour it took for them to arrive at the Las Vegas airport.

* * *

_**Chapter 6 - Groom Lake:**_  
  
The Humvee jerked and bounced over the gravel road as Jack O'Neill masterfully guided the large vehicle down the track that lead to the front entrance to the Groom Lake facility. Jack had signed out the vehicle at the Vegas airstrip, signing his name as one Colonel Harry Maybourne. He got a bit of a malicious thrill out of thinking about what would happen if this particular Humvee disappeared while apparently under loan to Maybourne. Supplies people tended to be particularly vicious when one of their vehicles went missing. His lips curled into a self satisfied smile as he kept an eye out for company. They had yet to run into the infamous white broncos that guarded the military base, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before they were stopped and either asked to accompany them to the base or else chased off Area 51. Thankfully, Carter had come up with an idea that could get them into the base with a minimum amount of bells and whistles.   
  
"So we're just going to go right through the front gate? As ourselves?" Daniel asked incredulously as he looked between Jack and Sam. "This is just the sort of thing they'd expect from you, Jack."  
  
"No, that's the beauty of it, Daniel. They'd expect me to go all the way up to the President and demand that Mulder be released to our custody as he is still a US citizen. This is much quicker," Jack replied.  
  
"Looks like we're going to get to find out," Sam said as she pointed out the white vehicles that were making a beeline for their Hummer.  
  
Two minutes later, the Humvee was effectively blocked by the broncos. An MP approached the vehicle with his side arm out, "Identify yourselves."  
  
"Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter," Jack said, holding out his ID as Sam did the same, "We have business on the base."  
  
The MP looked at the IDs carefully before comparing them to the faces he saw in front of him, "And your companions?"  
  
"Dr. Daniel Jackson, Teal'c, and Dr. Scully. They have DoD clearance to come to the base," O'Neill said.  
  
The MP holstered his weapon, apparently satisfied, "You're recognized, Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter. I'll radio into the base to expect you."  
  
"Actually, could you belay that for a few minutes, Lieutenant? It's part of a new initiative from the DoD to keep our staff on their toes. You understand." The last was not a question.  
  
"Aye, sir." The MP replied with a sharp salute as he motioned his companions to shift their vehicles aside for the Humvee to pass.  
  
Jack drove on through the opening and released the breath that he didn't know he was even holding, "I'm getting too old for this," he muttered.  
  
"Like hell you are, Jack," Daniel commented wryly. Jack didn't bother to dignify that with a response.  
  
****  
Hanger 9  
Groom Lake Facility  
Aka Area 51  
  
Ptah watched the door with a predatorial gaze despite the fact that Spender had kept to his word and left him alone to die. Indeed, he had died several hours previously but Spender's cronies had put his body into a sarcophagus just long enough to heal the stomach wound and nothing else. He wanted to leave this place, to work his revenge against all those Tau'ri who had dared to capture and torment him and to especially lay his hands upon the dainty female that his host cared for so deeply.   
  
Even as he thought of her, he felt a flash of his host's emotional pain and his lips curled into a smile in an instinctive response. It was so easy to torment the Tau'ri - he was surprised that none of the other Goa'uld had realized the power they could truly hold over these people. Apophis was and always would be an idiot to his way of thinking, especially after the treaty protecting this pitiful world was signed. The Asgard did not frighten him, though he did respect them and their capabilities.   
  
"Fools," he said, as if he tasted the word and liked what he found. The room echoed with the word, giving it a sense of power that the word alone lacked. Ptah leaned his head against the chair and continued his one-man staring contest with the door. The cigarette smoking man had yet to return, leaving him with nothing to do other than to consider what aches he had and what else might be done to him. He could feel his host squirming mentally at the idea of further torture and he knew that it would not take much more than this to cause the psyche of Fox Mulder to truly die. Part of him mourned that truth, for it would deprive him of his pleasure of tormenting the man with images of what he would do to his precious Scully. The other anticipated that particular death because he would be once again alone within his host.  
  
He saw the movement through the tiny window but it wasn't until the door opened that he was met with surprise and not a little amount of glee as the foolish Tau'ri that had captured him followed by his team and Scully entered the room. He grinned, though it was a mere caricature of the warm grin of his host, "Colonel O'Neill, how touching. I didn't know you cared."  
  
***  
  
The corridors and hangers that covered the classified military base were as unique in appearance as a set of identical twins, but somehow Colonel O'Neill had managed to find with little difficulty the particular hanger that the NID tended to encase their prisoners and test subjects. Dana Scully entered the room shortly after the Colonel, but her footsteps stopped as soon as she saw Mulder. 'No,' she corrected mentally, 'Ptah.' No matter who was housed in Mulder's body, she couldn't help the shock that coursed through her body as she looked at the obviously bruised and battered body.  
  
He had been tortured. "Oh my god," she breathed. Sam looked at her worriedly but Dana simply shook her head and approached him. His clothes were bloodied; indeed, there was far too much blood for him to even be alive. She pointed out the multiple holes centered on his abdomen in shock, "Who shot you?"  
  
Ptah ignored her to focus upon Teal'c, "If it isn't the shol'va Teal'c. I have heard of you, shol'va. Abandon these Tau'ri, warrior, and join me. You will be shol'va no longer and you will be allowed free access to your family."  
  
Teal'c looked at the Goa'uld with a flicker of disgust crossing his otherwise impassive face, "No."  
  
Once he perceived that his host was starting to recognize that his beloved was in the room, Ptah turned his attention to the red haired agent, "Dana, we have missed you."  
  
"Who shot you," she repeated with a steely note in her voice.  
  
"What, no kiss?"  
  
"You bastard," Sam Carter hissed, surprising both Ptah and Scully, "If I could, I'd leave you here to the NID's tender mercies and take Mulder back with us."  
  
Daniel looked at her with something akin to shock and amusement.  
  
"You go girl," Jack nodded before looking back at the still tied Goa'uld, "Carter, Teal'c, watch him. I'm going to cut his bindings."  
  
The knife was in his hands and within seconds he was cutting the plastic ties that had secured the Goa'uld's body to the chair. He couldn't help the feeling of disgust that he was helping the snake-headed bastard, but one look at Scully reminded him of exactly why he was doing this. For her. He always was a sucker for pregnant women.  
  
Once the ties were severed, the Goa'uld actually moaned in relief as blood began circulating again through his appendages. "Come on, snake head, let's get going," Jack ordered.  
  
Perhaps it was because he was occupied putting his knife away, or because Teal'c and Sam were watching Dana, but Ptah moved far faster than any of the military officers could have guessed when he grabbed for Jack's gun. The gun was out of Jack's hands and in Ptah's a second later. Jack tried to attack Ptah, but once again, the Goa'uld was faster and managed to spin away to grab Scully.  
  
"You're mine," Ptah whispered into Dana's ear, brushing her hair with a sickening caress.   
  
Dana shuddered as she felt him touch her. This was not Mulder, this was Ptah – a creature that she hated with every bone in her body. He would pay for what he had done to her and to Mulder - that she swore to any deity that would hear her.  
  
In the far corner, forgotten it seemed for the moment, Daniel Jackson moved stealthily towards Ptah and Scully. He had been investigating what looked like a hand device when the Goa'uld had made its move and for once he was glad that he could sometimes disappear into the woodwork. Daniel shifted his grip on his weapon and swung once he was in reaching distance. As the butt of his rifle hit the back of Ptah's head, Daniel said in a disgusted and angered voice, "Like hell she is." The Goa'uld collapsed to the ground in slow motion, the gun slipping out of his unconscious grasp.  
  
"Dana, are you okay?" Sam asked worriedly even as Jack took back his weapon and looked at the fallen body with an expression of disgust on his face.  
  
"Yeah," she replied with a weary smile, "I'm okay."  
  
"Well campers, we need to get out of here before our buddies from the NID decide to check up on sleeping beauty here. Teal'c, would you carry him?" Jack asked even though he knew the big Jaffa would not be pleased with the duty. Teal'c nodded and picked up the unconscious Goa'uld and followed the team out of the tiny containment cell.   
  
****  
Five Minutes Later  
Ptah's Containment Cell  
  
The cigarette fell to the floor as soon as he walked into the now empty room. It's burning was squelched by his heel, but he was far more concerned with what had happened to the Goa'uld rather than if he would burn down Area 51 or not. He turned enraged eyes towards the fools that had been left to watch the alien, "Where were you?"  
  
"Sir," one of the two men murmured, "I had to go to the head and Jerry did too. We didn't think that he'd get anywhere considering his current condition and…"  
  
"Fools!" he snapped, "You're going to loose your ranks for this. Contact the MPs, NO ONE gets on or off this base without my say so. Understood?"  
  
The newly demoted Captain nodded sharply, "Yes sir!" He and Jerry turned and ran out of the room, shouting into their radios as they went.  
  
Light flared again in the room as Spender lit another cigarette. The smoke, however, lacked any ability to calm him now. If he lost the Goa'uld…that thought did not bear thinking about.  
  
***  
Same time  
Outskirts of the Hangers  
  
Jack had led his team back to their Hummer after dodging several guard units. The place was practically swarming with MPs - a situation that he did not like one bit. Daniel, Teal'c, Scully and the unconscious Ptah occupied the back of the vehicle while he and Sam remained in the front seat. The vehicle roared to life and with a screech of tires on the cement, Jack guided the Hummer towards the front gate. He figured that going out the front would probably be easier than trying to explain why they were high tailing it out of there.   
  
"Sir, are you sure that we should be going out the front gate?" Sam asked quietly.  
  
"No," he admitted as he swung the massive car out of the way of yet another group of running officers, "But I can't see what else we can do. Front gates are usually the ones least likely to be used in the event of an escape after all." He was counting on these MP's training - the least obvious route was the one that most would go for. Colonel Jack O'Neill just wasn't one of the more obvious types.  
  
Sam didn't bother to respond - she had heard carefully hidden doubt in his voice. For one who knew him well, the Colonel was easy to read even when he was in 'save the universe' mode as he was right now. "Dana? Is Ptah okay back there?"  
  
"He's still unconscious," Scully replied, briefly taking her eyes off of Mulder's dear face to meet Sam's, "I'm hoping that we can keep him like this until we get back to the SGC...but without sedatives I don't know what else we can do. His body's been through enough torture and I don't want to keep hitting him to keep him unconscious."  
  
"Check under the seat, Dana, these things usually come with a med kit or two," Jack commented from the driver's seat. His voice however descended into mutters and curses as they rounded the corner to face five MPs pointing MP-5s at their vehicle.  
  
"STOP THE CAR!" the ranking officer shouted from his position in the middle of the group.  
  
Jack briefly apologized to everyone in the Humvee as he pressed the gas. Gun shots ricocheted off the front and sides of the vehicle as he played a game of 'chicken' with the MPs. One of the shots managed to shoot out the windshield, but Jack still pressed on. He had to get them off this base before anyone realized what had happened. He had sworn to himself that he'd see his team, and Scully, back to the SGC in one piece and he would fulfill that particular oath.  
  
The officers scattered in front of the car as it bore down upon them, giving up their positions in favor of continued life. They had seen the eyes of the man driving the Hummer and they knew that he would never stop. They might loose their ranks because of this incident, but that was far better than being lowered into the ground long before their time.  
  
Perhaps it was because of the adrenaline rushing through his system, or more because of his twisted sense of humor but Jack couldn't help the shout of, "YEE HAW!" that erupted from his throat as the MPs scattered like so many seeds before him. They were going to make it. A fierce grin crossed his face as they made the last turn to the straight-way that led to the front gate.   
  
The gate was closed, of course, but that mattered little to Colonel O'Neill. He lived for this, he thrived on it…after all, he was destroying government property. "Hey Danny, isn't it usually your job to destroy government property?"  
  
"Shut up Jack," the archaeologist replied sourly.  
  
"Humor is your friend," Jack chided as he increased his pressure on the gas - though it mattered little since the pedal was already flush against the floor. With another roar, and yet another scattering of MPs, the Hummer broke through the gate and rushed down the road towards the highway.   
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you freedom!" O'Neill crowed as Area 51 was left behind them.  
  
"My hero," Daniel replied sarcastically.   
  
Sam couldn't help the snicker that escaped her when she saw the Colonel's hurt expression. 

* * *

_**Chapter 7 - Choices**_

****  
Infirmary  
Stargate Command  
Colorado Springs, Colorado  
Seven Hours Later  
  
Ptah opened his eyes again to see the plain grey walls that reminded him far too much of his previous holding cell. However, instead of torture equipment he saw what his host identified as medical equipment. His body was covered in bandages though he was still held in restraints. He could feel his host squirming uncomfortably inside him against the idea of further torture and his lips curled into a smile. It did not matter that what harmed him also harmed his host and vice versa - he still enjoyed the feelings that his host experienced at the mere thought. He had suspected that SG- 1 had failed in their attempt to 'rescue' him, but that was when the petite 'doctor' returned to wave a light in his eyes.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill? He's coming around," Janet said, stepping away to reveal his nemesis.  
  
"Good to have you back, Snake-head," Jack sneered, "You REALLY need to loose some weight - you know that?"  
  
Ptah smiled, "You use humor as a shield, Tau'ri. I know that you fear me."  
  
Ptah had barely finished his words before Jack started laughing. When he regained control of himself he grinned at the prone Goa'uld, "Betcha can't guess who's coming for you, Ptah. You know that the Tok'ra are REALLY interested in speaking with you. They even agreed to take you out of good ol' Mulder's spine so you can live in your very own aquarium. Don't you feel special?"  
  
Ptah felt the first true strands of fear weave themselves around his soul at the idea. The Tok'ra were well known for what they did to the Goa'uld that they had captured. Torture… rehabilitation, his thoughts shied away from the idea. He did NOT want to end up as another one of their 'projects.' "You pride yourselves on being 'humane,' Tau'ri. This is condemning to one such as I. They will kill me."  
  
"Like I'd cry for you," Jack replied, enjoying this discussion far too much. He liked having the upper hand with a jerk such as this one.  
  
"Release me, Colonel O'Neill," Ptah continued, ignoring the fact that he was begging, "I will provide you with invaluable information if you allow me to leave this world."  
  
"In a pig's eye," O'Neill rolled his eyes. Before he could say more, he felt Sam's hand on his arm.  
  
"Sir, Dad's here," she whispered to him.  
  
"Guess what, Ptah? Your ride's here…" Jack said loudly, turning towards the exit.  
  
"TAU'RI!" Ptah shouted, struggling against his bindings, "If you allow me to leave, I will abandon this body."  
  
That caused Jack to turn back to the Goa'uld, "You would leave freely?"  
  
"Yes," Ptah nodded, though it pained him to do so. Though it meant a deal with his enemies, it was far better to do this rather than to die at the hands of the Tok'ra. He preferred life.  
  
"I'll talk it over with my superiors," O'Neill eyed the Goa'uld carefully before turning again and walking out of the infirmary with Sam. He could feel Ptah's eyes on him all the way.  
  
***  
Briefing Room  
  
Jacob Carter/Selmac smiled at his daughter as she led Colonel O'Neill into the room. He and Yelsha had arrived from the Tok'ra's new home base just a few minutes earlier. He couldn't help but feel anxious to meet Ptah, especially given his reputation among the Tok'ra.   
  
*He's insane,* Selmac replied to his thoughts, *He enjoys tormenting others for his own sick pleasure. This is one Goa'uld that I would be pleased to see dead.*   
  
If his symbiont's vehemence surprised him, Jacob didn't say anything.   
  
Colonel O'Neill smiled warmly when he saw Jacob sitting at the briefing table, "Heya Dad!"  
  
"Jack," Jacob nodded with a smile. Once O'Neill, his daughter, Dr. Dana Scully, the rest of SG-1 and General Hammond had taken their seats he began, "We received your message about having Ptah on your hands, George." He nodded briefly towards the CO of the base before continuing, "The Tok'ra would be pleased to help remove the Goa'uld from Special Agent Mulder."  
  
"General Carter," Dana spoke up from the other side of the room, "Can you tell me about this process? Will Mulder be hurt anymore by this Goa'uld?"  
  
Jacob's head bowed and when he looked up again, his expression had softened. When the strange dual-toned voice emerged from his lips, she started, "Agent Scully, I am Selmac. I am sorry for your torment by Ptah. The process for removing a Goa'uld from his host is relatively simple but there is some pain that will be experienced by the host. If the Goa'uld is unwilling to leave, the more pain the host will experience. I knew Ptah many of your centuries ago. If my experience of him was anything like he is now, Mulder will experience that pain. Ptah lives on the torment of other's emotions. I am truly sorry that you had to experience this first hand."  
  
"I…see," Scully replied softly. She hadn't wanted Mulder to experience any more pain than necessary. He had already suffered more than enough.  
  
"Actually, General Hammond," Jack spoke up without meeting Jacob's eyes, "There's another option. Ptah offered to freely leave Mulder if we let him leave Earth."  
  
"Are you sure that his offer can be trusted?" George's eyes had sharpened at the offer that Jack spoke of. He truly felt for the young woman who had suffered so much at the hands of this Goa'uld. If there was a way for Mulder to spared more torment, he was willing to take it.  
  
"George, I wouldn't trust him," Jacob spoke up in his own voice, "From what Selmac has told me, this guy is more of a double crosser than anyone else I know. He'd do anything to be kept away from us."  
  
"With all due respect, Jake, you didn't see his eyes," Jack smoothly inserted his commentary in between Jacob's next response, "He's scared half to death of the Tok'ra. I'd say lets send him to some deserted planet kinda close to say some Goa'uld controlled planet and leave a note saying 'come pick me up.' There's a chance he might not get picked up, but there's also a chance that he might be."  
  
George Hammond's brow furrowed in thought. He was tempted to go with Jack's idea, especially given the amount of uncertainty involved in it. If Ptah would, indeed, freely leave Mulder's body he was willing to agree to that much. "Alright, Jacob, I'd like you to go ahead and remove the symbiont." Before Jacob's eyes could light up with pleasure, he continued, "BUT the Tok'ra will not be taking Ptah back with them. We will follow Colonel O'Neill's suggestion provided that Ptah holds up his end of the bargain."  
  
He might be annoying the hell out of Jacob, but he was fully rewarded by the smile on Dana Scully's face.  
  
"You're making a mistake, General Hammond," Selmac protested, "He's probably planning to double cross the Tau'ri. The minute you let him go, he'll come back with a vengeance. You'll have another Goa'uld on your hands that has the Tau'ri firmly in his 'cross hairs'."  
  
"We've had 'em before. We've defeated 'em before. What's one more in the long run?" Jack replied, "He's a jerk, I admit that…but I'm willing to believe him."  
  
"Why?" Selmac asked aghast.  
  
"Because he's scared half to death of the Tok'ra. He knows as well as we do that we can just send him to some world and just give you guys the coordinates if he tries anything. You could get him if we just say the word. As far as I see it, we're holding all the cards," Jack retorted.  
  
Jacob took over from the still fuming Selmac, "I'm sorry for Selmac's vehemence here, but she does know Ptah. We just want you to consider all the possibilities here rather than simply going along with what Ptah wants. He wants to be free. He'd do anything to get it."  
  
"Including tell the truth?" Jack questioned.  
  
Jacob Carter sighed wearily before nodding, "I suppose. We'll go with your decision, George, but we don't have to like it."  
  
"That's all that I ask, Jacob," George replied wearily, "Let's get to it."  
  
***  
Infirmary  
Three Hours Later  
  
Dana Scully sat in vigil at her partner's, NOT Ptah's, bedside. The procedure for removing the Goa'uld had gone as planned including Ptah's freely leaving his host. The creature that was Ptah was currently encased in an aquarium-like holding facility. He seemed to keep staring at her from across the room and she shuddered reflexively. Sam had joined her at one point of the vigil with the rest of SG-1 in tow but they had left shortly thereafter when she said that she was fine.   
  
Fine. It was her shield word as no matter what happened she said she was fine. Even when she was falling apart inside as she was now. She bowed her head onto the bed frame and shook with silent sobs. She had him back, finally…she just didn't know if it would be her Mulder or not.  
  
It was a while before she noticed the hand softly stroking her hair and she swallowed the reflexive gasp. After the horrors she had experienced she offered a silent prayer that he was okay. That thought need not have been uttered for when she looked into his eyes she knew him. It was *her* Mulder.  
  
"Hey Scully," his gravelly voice whispered before his lips turned upwards into a beautiful smile.  
  
"Mulder," she sobbed again and threw herself into his arms, holding him tightly.  
  
Mulder was home.

* * *

_**Chapter 8 - Aftermath**_  
  
Seven days had passed since Mulder's miraculous return to the land of the living. In that time, he had been confined to the Infirmary but Scully was a constant presence. He didn't know what he would have done without her when the memories hit him of what Ptah had done to Scully and of what he had done to so many different worlds. Ptah was a monster, but he didn't know if he'd ever be free of him despite the fact that Ptah himself was long gone.   
  
He was finding that he enjoyed interacting with Scully's friends in the SGC. Once he started talking to Jack O'Neill he found him to be somewhat of a kindred spirit. They had discussed basketball statistics into the late night while Scully caught a nap on the bed next to him. He felt normal around him rather than the monster that he suspected most regarded him as being. Mulder tried refocusing his attention on Daniel's story, but his thoughts kept wandering.  
  
"Hey campers!" Jack O'Neill bounced into the infirmary with a wide smile. His favorite team was crowded around Mulder's bed sharing some of the more entertaining stories about SG-1's different adventures.  
  
Without missing a beat, Daniel continued, "…So Jack stepped in the local equivalent of glue and you should've seen his expression when he tried to lift up his foot!"  
  
Jack mock growled at his errant friend, "Hey, no one told me that it was freakin' glue! As far as I was concerned it was just another patch of dark green moss stuff." He remembered that particular mission all too well, and he did not want to be reminded of what had happened AFTER he had gotten himself glued to the ground.  
  
Mulder offered a weak smile to Jack and Dana's eyes sharpened as she caught his expression. SG-1 was a lot to get used to, but she couldn't have survived this long without their support. She was quickly considering them to be as good of friends as Mulder. However, Mulder was not used to so much activity around him. They were trying so hard to show him that they didn't care about what had happened to him or who he had been. "Mulder?" she asked, "Do you want us to leave?"  
  
"No!" Mulder replied a little too quickly. He caught Scully's expression and smiled apologetically, "No, its okay. I appreciate everything that you guys are doing for me. I don't think I'd be able to handle this without you."  
  
Jack smiled, "Our pleasure, Mulder. But…I was wondering if you'd be willing to tell us a bit about what happened to you." He was hesitant to bring this up, but General Hammond and he needed to know if there was a threat that they didn't know of on Earth.  
  
Mulder swallowed nervously before replying, "I knew you'd want to know about what had happened to me. The truth is, the last I knew before Ptah had…taken me over…I was in Bellefleur Oregon. There was this flash of light and these ring things came down around me. When the light faded, I saw someone in front of me wearing some sort of metallic snake helmet thing. I heard something being powered up and this electric energy enveloped me. The next I knew, Ptah had control of my body."  
  
During the course of his confession, Scully reached out to hold his hand tightly, as if by her presence alone she could keep him from hurting. Mulder squeezed her hand back and continued, "He enjoyed torturing me. Emotionally at least, taunting me with images of Scully and of Earth. He wasn't a very powerful Goa'uld, but he was ambitious. He's been giving the Consortium weapons in exchange for information and hosts. I was one of the exchange bonuses. He was working his way up to System Lord before he went turn coat on the Consortium and planned to destroy or subjugate Earth. The Consortium didn't have to deal with me and Ptah was appeased. It was a good deal all around." His voice turned bitter as he continued, "I'll write down everything I learned from Ptah and give it to you, Jack - freely. This isn't something that I'd want anyone other than you to know…I'm not even going to try to put this in the X-Files. It's too personal."  
  
He rubbed his eyes tiredly, "You know what happened when you caught Ptah, but you didn't know what I had learned when Maybourne had taken me to Area 51. C.G.B Spender, one of the leaders in the Consortium, was there to interrogate Ptah. They tortured me, and when Ptah didn't give him the information he wanted, he killed me. The next I knew, I was waking up in a box of some sort - alive."  
  
The concerned glances shared by the SG-1 team completely passed him by. "Then you came to rescue me and you know the rest. I can't thank you enough for freeing me from Ptah. For returning me to Scully," he smiled as he caressed Scully's hand.  
  
Daniel spoke softly, as if he did not want to break the current mood, "You're welcome - from all of us."  
  
Mulder smiled. He knew that it would take a while to get over what had happened to him. However, he knew with Scully and such friends as these he would be able to. He had to.  
  
He was home after all.  
  
***  
Somewhere on P1X-387  
  
He could see the wind blowing through the trees next to the Stargate, but that was it. The tank he was in distorted his view and it also didn't help that there was algae growing on the sides. He wouldn't be able to live here for long, but he still held out some hope that someone would find him.  
  
If he looked closely, however, he could see the note that Colonel O'Neill had left on his tank. That was one final insult that he did not care for, but he had kept his word. The words were damning and humiliating. He was NOT looking forward to talking to the Goa'uld that rescued him.  
  
That note read: 'Snake free to good home.'

*~Fin~*


End file.
